Isolation and characterization of the new SARS-CoV-2 variant in travellers from the United Kingdom to India: VUI-202012/01 of the B.1.1.7 lineage

Pragya D Yadav; Dimpal A Nyayanit; Rima R Sahay; Prasad Sarkale; Jayshri Pethani; Savita Patil; Shreekant Baradkar; Varsha Potdar; Deepak Y Patil

doi:10.1093/jtm/taab009

Isolation and characterization of the new SARS-CoV-2 variant in travellers from the United Kingdom to India: VUI-202012/01 of the B.1.1.7 lineage

J Travel Med. 2021 Feb 23;28(2):taab009. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taab009.

Authors

Pragya D Yadav¹, Dimpal A Nyayanit¹, Rima R Sahay¹, Prasad Sarkale¹, Jayshri Pethani², Savita Patil¹, Shreekant Baradkar¹, Varsha Potdar³, Deepak Y Patil¹

Affiliations

¹ Maximum Containment Facility, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Pune, Maharashtra 411 021, India.
² Department of Microbiology, Smt. Nathiba Hargovandas Lakhmichand, Municipal Medical College (NHLMMC), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380006, India.
³ Influenza Department, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Pune, Maharashtra 411 001, India.

Abstract

We have isolated the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 variant of concern 202 012/01 from the positive coronavirus disease 2019 cases that travelled from the UK to India in the month of December 2020. This emphasizes the need for the strengthened surveillance system to limit the local transmission of this new variant.

Keywords: B.1.1.7 lineage; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; Kent variant; South Africa; pandemic; virus variant.

MeSH terms

Adult
COVID-19 / genetics*
COVID-19 Testing / methods*
Humans
India
Middle Aged
SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification*
Travel
United Kingdom